It deals with one of the central challenges that creative folks face in these digital times: how do you cultivate an audience and a business model that will support your work? I interviewed several dozen filmmakers, musicians, visual artists, writers, and comedians who've been pioneers in this area, including documentary filmmakers Robert Greenwald and Sandi DuBowski, the animators behind "Red vs. Blue" and "Homestar Runner," comedian Eugene Mirman, and singer-songwriters Jonathan Coulton and Jill Sobule. The book collects some of their most successful strategies for building a fan base and a creative career online.

He interviewed me for the book and is allowing me to publish my chapter here.

Steve GarfieldVideoblogger

Steve Garfield helped meld the mediums of blogging and cinema verité video reportage, which yielded vlogging. He has been a correspondent and contributor to the satirical news series “Rocket-boom,” political analysis site techPresident, and TheUptake, a site for citizen journalism. He created “Vlog Soup,” a show that surveys the best of videoblogs, and teaches a course called “New Media Tools for Journalism” at Boston University. Garfield is often sought out by tech companies to test new cameras, phones, and Web services, and he earns a living as a consultant helping clients understand the world of Internet video.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I gravitate towards doing things that are fun.

On January 1st, 2004, I integrated video into my blog for the first time. I did it as a New Year’s resolution.

The power of the link. All of the early vloggers [video bloggers] linked to one another, and helped each other build an audience. The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and Time magazine would cover vlogging, but they didn’t include links. It did nothing for my site’s traffic.

There was a videoblogging group on Yahoo, and as people wanted to learn how to do it, they joined. We all discussed how to do things, and watched each others’ videos. In 2004, the group was maybe 40 or 50 people. In 2005, I helped organize the first Vloggercon, in New York City. It was an “unconference” that brought together a lot of the people who’d gotten into videoblogging to share advice and talk about tools.

Free advice. The way I meet people and get most of my jobs is offering to help people. That’s my method of operation. When “Rocketboom” [a satirical video series] first came out, I critiqued their first video, minute by minute. Amanda [Congdon, the host,] threw some papers, and it was funny. I said, “Do more of that.” We started e-mailing, and then we met. I became one of their first correspondents. At the opening of my reports, I’d always say, “Hi, I’m Steve Garfield from SteveGarfield.com.” And Amanda would mimic that. It really worked for me.

Now, the thing I’m doing is live video broadcasts, from this Nokia N82 phone directly to the Internet. [The company sent Garfield the phone for free as part of its “blogger relations” program.] Right now, I use a service called Qik for sending video from the phone to the Web. My Twitter followers get a message whenever I’m broadcasting live, and people can text me on the phone and do things like ask me to ask a particular question of someone that I’m with.

How do I make a living? I go around the country and speak, and I produce video for clients. I get paid to create online video for companies like a food site called SpicesofLife.com sponsored by Legal Sea Foods, a non-profit called Third Sector New England, and Boston City Councillor John Tobin. He was the first elected official in the US to vlog, and he has me on retainer. I often get paid to speak, and to teach. “Rocketboom” pays a little stipend.

When Akimbo [one of the first Internet-connected set-top boxes] came out, they contacted me, and wanted me to be on there. They sent me an Akimbo box. With Seesmic [a video messaging service], I met [founder] Loic [Le Meur] at a conference, and I became an investor in the company. I met the guys from [video distribution site] Blip.tv at VloggerCue, on a rooftop in New York, and then they highlighted my vlog on their site.

I e-mail everybody back. I respond to everything. Think about regular TV shows. In that world, you’d never expect to get any sort of response.

The lure of the new. I Twitter three or four times a day. On my “About Me” page, it says, “Follow me on Twitter.” I think people follow me because I sometimes go to interesting places, talk to cool people, link to lots of sites and videos.

I’m always attracted to what’s new. I like to jump on it, test it out, and then share what I find.

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You can learn more about these photos by visiting our website with our favorite Streamy Awards photos.

Leviathan Quad was fermented with a blend of two traditional Trappist yeasts. A mixture of two-row pale malts, caramel malts, and special aromatic malts gives the Quad its richness and texture. The subtle hop flavor imparted from Brewer’s Gold hops lingers in the background and provides just enough bitterness to balance the malt sweetness. The addition of imported Belgian Dark Candi Syrup rounds out the beer, giving the Quad its full body and deep auburn color. Expect notes of honeyed dry fruit with peppery phenols in the aroma, a velvet-like mouthfeel, and a superbly drinkable beer.

I got to the station at 4:55 PM and they informed me that one car was ahead of me and they close at 5:00. So no car inspection today. The hours are posted as ending at 5:00, but you'd think they could stay a little longer to inspect one more car.

Maybe it's a State law that all inspections must end at 5:00. Stranger laws are enforced in the state, such as the restrictive wine bill, but don't get me started.

Maybe they just want to go home on time. I get that, but I wasn't treated like the long time loyal customer that I am.

The TiVo HD only needs ONE Multi-STREAM CableCARD to allow dual tuner features.

The CableCARD goes into the TiVo and not into the TV.

Comcast came over today to install my CableCARD.

After I purchased the TiVo HD, I DM'd Frank on twitter at @comcastcares.

He confirmed that I only needed ONE CableCARD. I told him that I could find out how to order it online. You can't. You have to call on the phone.

So Frank scheduled the appointment for me.

I set up the TiVo, so it would be ready to go when the Comcast installer arrived.

He came with TWO Multi-STREAM CableCARDs. He told me some people want two cards to blah blah blah two screens blah blah blah.

He confused me.

Based on everything I had read, and what Frank told me, I only needed one card to allow dual tuner features.

So I told him to wait and I called Frank on the phone.

Frank confirmed that I only needed one card. He explained further that in some of the older TiVo Series 3 units, TWO Multi-STREAM CableCARDs are used to get around certain problems. Those problems do not exist on BRAND NEW TiVO HD units.

So one card was installed and everything works fine.

I just checked Grey's Anatomy and 30 Rock recorded fine. At the same time.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Since I'm getting a new 50" Plasma TV as part of the Living in HD program from Panasonic, I decided to get a TiVo HD. This is not a part of the Living in HD program. I bought this on my own.

If you've been following my blog, you'll know that I was the first Comcast TiVo customer in the Boston Area. I wanted to give Comcast a shot. It was problematic.

One of the biggest problems is that it does not give you ANY indication of how musch space is left to record new shows. Recently I've been deleting unwatched shows to make room for new recordings. Not good.

It wold be nice if Comcast allowed us to add external storage. But they do not.

So I got a new TiVo HD and installed it tonight in anticipation of the new Panasonic TV being installed tomorrow.

In this photo you can see I hooked up the Comcast cable, HDMI video out, right and left audio out, WiFi USB connection and the poer cable.

The TiVo USB WiFi adapter is one of the nicest consumer products I've ever seen.

I hooked it up and turned on the TiVo.

The actual TiVo remote is nicer than the Comcast TiVo remote.

The way you set things up is that you install the TiVo without the Cable card and then the Comcast installer comes in ansd installs the Cable Card.

The TiVo HD only needs ONE Multi-STREAM CableCARD to allow dual tuner features.

The CableCARD goes into the TiVo and not into the TV.

In the set up process the TiVO askes what channel I get on Ch 6.

Ha! That just changed around. Correct answer NECN.

So now everything is set for the install.

I also took some time to install the TiVo Desktop aplication on my Mac. Now I can stream Photos and Music from my Mac to my Tivo. Very cool.

This is part of Panasonic's Living in HD program. I learned about the program when I went to the Consumer Electrinics Show as a guest of Panasonic.

Yoshi Yamada, Chairman and CEO Panasonic North America explained the program is something that helps the product engineers in Japan better understand how American conumers use the products.

Making Purchase Decisions in a Complex World

Products are so technical these days, and with the vast number of choices, I don't think you can make an informed purchase decision without being able to get a hands on trial of a product. Companies can't send everyone evaluation units, but by seeding a select number of bloggers, who are authentic and transparent, consumers will be able to make informed decisions based on product reviews from trusted sources.

I get many emails and twitter messages asking me what I think of different camera, lighting and sound equipment.

Many times I can talk from experience on products that I own, or have on trial, and other times I can't provide an opinion since I haven't yet tried a product.

The Flip mino HD vs. the Kodak Zi6

For months, people have been asking me what I think about the Flip camera. I've never been able to answer. [ note: music plays when you visit that site ]

Based on the specs, I ended up buying a Kodak Zi6 instead, beause of the replaceable battery and removable SD card.

I just got a Flip, Flip mino and Flip mino HD on evaluation for a new book on video I'm writing about online video.

I've started evaluating the Flip mino HD and really like it, maybe even more than the Kodak Zi6, but I wouldn't have known it if I didn't get a chance to try it.

Watch for a report on my SXSW experience with the Flip camera in different sound and lighting situations. I'll also be including a full report on the Flip in my book.

It's a lot like the TiVo experience. Many people can try to explain it, but until you get it in your house, and can use it yourself, you can't understand it. Same with twitter. Once you actually use it, then you can see why people like it so much.

Details of the ProgramJust so there's total transparency, here are the details of the program:

As part of the Program, Selected Participants and members of his/her family must (a) participate in an in-depth telephone interview (b) cooperate with the Sponsor's representatives (Marketers, Researchers, Film Crew and Factory personnel) who will visit them several times at home and interview them on their lifestyles and using the products, (c) create content (using the Product Suite) in the form of videos and photos (the “Material”) to be shared online and via email, (d) create short tutorial videos on how to use some of the products in the Product Suite, (e) participate in a research study that could involve activities such as in-home and telephone interviews, creating diaries, filling out surveys administered by Sponsor’s research partner, (f) participate in one (1) to three (3) public relations events at locations determined by Sponsor and at Sponsor’s expense, and (g) host a party at their home to showcase the Product Suite. Sponsor reserves the right to remove the equipment at any time if any of these conditions are not met.

As you can see, Panasonic benefits from ethnographic research and I'll basically be doing what I do with technology, testing and sharing my thoughts.

This equipment is on loan, and at the end of the evaluation I can either send it back or buy it from Panasonic. A truck arrives today, and everything gets installed tomorrow.

"Greetings from Austin, Texas and SXSW 2009. South by Southwest is a 22-year-old festival featuring music, film and an interactive component that focuses on the web and technology. Yesterday I spent time roaming the halls and caught up with Steve Garfield, one of the very first video blogger"

"Greetings from Austin, Texas and SXSW 2009. South by Southwest is a 22-year-old festival featuring music, film and an interactive component that focuses on the web and technology. Yesterday I spent time roaming the halls and caught up with Steve Garfield, one of the very first video blogger"

"I’ve been doing this live video thing for just about two years now. I wanted to talk about online video today in order to answer a few questions Steve Garfield had for me. He’s working on a new book, which should be a great read!"

Thanks Chris.

Great video. Pancake!

If you go watch Chris' video. Make a comment and tell him Steve Garfield sent you. ;-)

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About Me

Steve is a Social Media Traveler. Companies, brands, and destinations send my wife and I on trips in hopes that we will publicly share our experiences via social media. Examples include opening festivities for the Hermitage Club and traveling with GMC to the Super Bowl. (Go Pats!) We are available for more branded experience trips.